Oh, how I love them bookstores. But a book is just a book. And what is a book worth on Instagram? Well, we can tell you that it’s certainly worth something. Mendo asked the Sizoo Brothers (not a boyband) to curate an awesome photography book with a selection of their favourite travel Instagrammers. It gets better, and then they asked (one of my favourite Instagrammers) Joost Bastmeijer to write it. How’s that for a get-together? And since he’s that good in writing, I asked him to write a guest blog about it.

Photo (c) MENDO
‘Depart’ has arrived
My father loves photography, he always carries a camera around. So when I grew up, the bookcase was always filled with the prettiest photo books. I obviously wasn’t into photography – because hey, I’m not my father. But that changed when I downloaded the Instagram app in 2012: it turned out that the love for photography also runs through my veins.
After uploading more than a thousand pictures on Instagram, the transition from online to a real photo book is quite surreal. Some might even think that that transition is illogical: isn’t a photo book something old fashioned? I don’t think so, and I’m definitely not the only one. So when the guys from the Amsterdam-based book store MENDO asked me to work with them on a new photo book featuring 25 Insta-famous photographers, I was immediately excited.

Photo (c) Mendo
Sizoo Brothers
After initiating a bunch of other books, MENDO teamed up with the Sizoo brothers to make ‘Depart’, a coffee table book I would describe as a ‘photographic guide’ that will definitely trigger your wanderlust. Bob, Willem and Bastiaan Sizoo asked 22 photographers from all over the world to contribute photos of their favourite trip.

Photo by @bastiaansizoo
I’m not only in the book with eight pictures I took in Jordan and Israel, I’m also responsible for all of the texts, including the foreword. It was a great experience to work with so many talented Instagram photographers, and though I have only seen the final PDF version of the book, I’m sure it will be a great addition to my father’s bookcase.

Photo by @joostbastmeijer
‘Depart’ will be presented at Hutspot Rozengracht (come and say hi!), at Thursday night 6pm, October 26th. But secretly, the book is already available through this link.
DEPART, A photographic travel and adventure guide | Mendo Books | Berenstraat 11 | Amsterdam
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